Cytoskeleton: Cell Movement, Cytokinesis & Organelles Organization

In this book, the authors review the effects of uPAR on the actin, intermediate filaments and microtubules that constitute the cell cytoskeleton, and the mechanisms used by uPAR to modulate intracellular signalling and temporally fine tune cytoskeletal dynamics. The effects of cytoskeletal components of uPAR expression and cellular distribution are examined as well. In addition, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited disorder characterised by progressive muscular degeneration and cognitive impairment due to mutations in the DMD gene. Elucidation of the molecular basis for this illness has determined that cytoskeleton and the product of the DMD gene called dystrophin work in a co-ordinated way to maintain fibre muscle integrity. The authors describe the scientific path that allows elucidation of the molecular basis of DMD. Furthermore, cell motility is central to many aspects of cell, tissue, and organ function in both health and disease. Some of the more popular published experimental approaches to study cell motility are discussed. Also examined are the IQGAP family of proteins, which are now known to act at the interface between cellular signalling pathways and the actin cytoskeleton.